Sophomore Year Research Articles

How Important are Employability Skills to Business Students?

Research has indicated that educational institutions and the job market are facing many challenges, one being the required employability skills of graduates upon recruitment. This study aimed to explore how important employability skills are to business students. The research method used a sample of 123 questionnaires and 20 interviews of business students from one Saudi Arabian university. The main findings indicated that the participants considered all the mentioned employability skills highly to very highly important according to the students’ academic year and choice of future job but with no significant differences. However, Sophomore year students indicated a high positive significant difference in considering leadership as the most important skill over their junior and senior year counterparts. The findings further indicated the communication and leadership skills of high importance which contradicts the findings in the literature where life-long learning, tolerance, and language skills are considered of high importance. Additionally, the interview responses showed insufficient knowledge on the part of the students to develop their own skills to meet the market needs and maintain sustainable employment. Implications of the present study show that there is a need for urgent collaboration between educational institutions and job markets to identify, orient, and train students in needed employability skills. Future research on matching stakeholders’ employability skills is recommended.

Examining Role of 1-Year Online College Can Improve Access to Higher Learning

Purpose: This study aims to address the diminishing access to top universities by investigating and proposing alternative solutions to allow for additional deserving students admittance into highly selective universities. Results: Admittance to top universities have been steadily declining over the past 20 years, which has only been exasperated recently due to the global pandemic. As college admission committees continue to modify their assessment criterions, this has caused some consternation among high schoolers who feel their chances of getting admitted to various schools fluctuate with every news release. Through literature review and analysis, this study examines the benefits and challenges of utilizing a 1-year online offering to help bolster admission rates. From research evidence, the benefits of a 1-year online structure are reduced cost to the student, enhanced networking, and study abroad opportunities while the benefit to the universities are increased inflow of tuition dollars and greater alumni base for potential future donation support. However, online learning presents numerous challenges, such as isolation and decreased motivation. This study addresses these issues by proposing schools pool their additional capital to fund offsite communal shared spaces for the very purpose of enabling face to face socialization and learning. Conclusion: The results conclude that setting up an online learning environment for 1-year (this study used sophomore year as an example) will allow additional students to be admitted. Students can still gain social connections while realizing significant financial savings off their college bill. Universities will generate incremental revenue which, in part, can fund initiatives such as scholarships, on-campus facilities, and shared offsite classroom spaces for remote students.

Impact of English proficiency and self-efficacy on EMI content learning: a longitudinal study in Taiwan

Abstract In many countries, English-medium instruction (EMI) courses have become a requirement for universities to maintain their competitive global rankings. This study reports on a three-year EMI program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at a national university in Taiwan. A total of 63 students participated in the study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including measures targeting students’ English proficiency, language learning beliefs, classroom anxiety, self-efficacy, content course grades, and interview data from four faculty members. The t-tests indicate that students’ English proficiency significantly improved from their freshman year to their sophomore year but then tapered off in their junior year. Multiple regression analyses show that students’ self-efficacy remained the strongest predictor of the content learning outcomes, overriding the English proficiency. Interview data show that, after navigating the initial language impact and adapting to the EMI environment, students were better able to focus on the content learning due to enhanced self-efficacy. The qualitative data provide enriched contexts to support the statistical findings, against the backdrop of the 2030 Bilingual Policy, initiated in 2018 by Taiwan’s National Development Council to build a bilingual society by 2030. Finally, pedagogical implications and future research endeavors are also discussed.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Toward Physical Literacy Among the College Students During COVID-19 School Closure.

To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among college students toward physical literacy during COVID-19 school closure. This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted between December 9th, 2022 and December 24th, 2022 among college students during COVID-19 school closure. A self-designed questionnaire was developed to collect demographic information of the college students, and assess their KAP toward physical literacy. A total of 969 students were recruited, with mean age of 18.73±0.97 years. The majority were male (54.70%), urban residents (78.02%), majoring in engineering (58.00%), and having exercise habits (61.09%). The mean KAP scores were 6.57±0.95, 32.63±4.07, and 27.06±7.23, respectively. Positive associations were identified between knowledge and attitude (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.52-2.66, P < 0.001), and between attitude and practice (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.12-1.22, P < 0.001). A bachelor's degree and being in the sophomore year were positively associated with knowledge (OR = 1.51-4.05, all P < 0.05). Urban residence and being in the sophomore year were negatively associated with attitude (OR = 0.43-0.59, all P < 0.05), while having daily exercise habits showed the opposite trend (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.33-2.57, P < 0.001). Father's education level of high school and technical secondary school (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.37-0.93, P = 0.023) and having daily exercise habits (OR = 3.88, 95% CI: 2.72-5.55, P < 0.001) were associated with practice. College students had sufficient knowledge, moderate attitudes and negative practices towards physical literacy during COVID-19 school closure. The findings hold significant potential for developing educational programs, fostering healthier lifestyles and promoting mental well-being among college students during public health outbreaks.

Effect of classroom-based physical activity on teaching quality of systemic lupus erythematosus for medical undergraduates.

To explore the influence of classroom-based physical activity (CB-PA) on the teaching quality of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for medical undergraduates. Students from 8 classes participating in the clinical medicine program of the affiliated hospital of Zunyi Medical University were divided into two groups. Four classes received regular teaching on the SLE chapter as the control group, and the other four received CB-PA intervention as the experimental group. After class, the basic ability (diagnostics and pharmacology scores in sophomore year) and teaching quality scores were collected and compared using a questionnaire. The performance of the 2 groups to the SLE review questions was compared. The scores of learning interest, the degree of satisfaction with the courses, and the level of mastering the teaching contents in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The evaluation of the teacher's teaching level increased considerably. The experimental group's performance was also better than the control group's (the assessment performance was adjusted with the basic ability). CB-PA in teaching SLE improves students' interest in learning, teaching satisfaction, and mastery of knowledge and may ultimately enhance their assessment results.

High school education management: Significance of teacher care in student learning

In order to find out how different high school students' perceptions of teachers' caring behaviors affect their ability to learn and how well they do in school. A total of 259 individuals in their sophomore year of high school were chosen for the study using a convenience sample technique. Our survey data was analyzed statistically using the following instruments: teacher care behavior questionnaire, learning efficacy questionnaire, perceived stress and motivation questionnaire. There are three types of research subjects that can be classified based on how high school students perceive the pressure and motivation from teachers regarding care behavior: dynamic type, balanced type, and pressure type. The former group has high scores for both factors, while the latter has low scores for dynamic perception. There was a positive correlation (P&lt;0.05) between the caring behavior of teachers in dynamic research subjects and learning efficacy, and a positive correlation (P&lt;0.05) between the caring behavior of teachers in balanced research subjects and exam scores and learning efficacy. The correlation analysis revealed that the learning efficacy of balanced research subjects was positively correlated with two indicators: exam scores and class ranking, and with a positive correlation between the learning efficacy of dynamic research subjects and class ranking. The analysis of the mediating effect found that learning efficacy plays a complete mediating role in the prediction of teacher care behavior on exam scores.

The Physical Condition and Lifestyle Dimensions on Physical Fitness among College Students

The physical health of male and female students at Guangdong Ocean University is generally satisfactory, with their body mass indexes clustered around normal levels, forming a bell curve distribution. When examining total physical fitness scores, male students peak during their sophomore year but decline in their junior year, while female students excel in their senior year but face challenges during their freshman year. Both genders grapple with malnutrition and obesity, with a higher incidence of malnutrition among female students and a greater prevalence of pre-obesity and obesity among males. In terms of lifestyle, students at Guangdong Ocean University lean towards healthy habits. Female students slightly outperform males, although the distinction is not significant. Both genders excel in internet use, interpersonal relationships, coping styles, hygiene, and study habits but struggle with eating and sleep quality. Notably, there are significant differences across five dimensions: sleep quality, study habits, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, and coping styles. In these categories, males outperform females in physical exercise, internet use, and coping styles, while females fare better in tobacco and alcohol use, study habits, and sleep quality. Student lifestyles vary with academic progress. Those in lower grades exhibit healthier lifestyles, with sophomores achieving the highest scores and seniors the lowest. Overall, lifestyle scores tend to decrease as academic levels rise. Crucially, a significant correlation exists between students' physical fitness indicators and their lifestyle dimensions. A stepwise regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of lifestyle on physical condition, using physical form, function, and quality indexes as dependent variables and ten lifestyle dimensions as independent variables. Among male students, hygiene and physical exercise affect physical form, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, and dietary habits influence physical function, while sleep quality, dietary habits, physical exercise, and tobacco and alcohol use impact physical quality. For female students, dietary habits, sleep quality, and physical exercise influence physical form, dietary habits and physical exercise affect physical function, and sleep quality, dietary habits, and physical exercise play a role in physical quality. This study sheds light on the health and lifestyles of Guangdong Ocean University students, highlighting gender disparities in physical fitness and lifestyle habits. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing these variations and tailoring interventions to enhance the overall well-being of the student population.

Depression and approach-avoidance achievement goals of Chinese undergraduate students: A four-wave longitudinal study.

The study explored the prospective relations between depression and approach-avoidance achievement goals of undergraduate students in China. 2473 full-time undergraduates reported their depression and achievement goals annually from the freshman to the senior year. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and cross-lagged models. Students' achievement goals decreased gradually during the first 3 years but rose in the fourth year, and the avoidance goals appeared to be less prevalent than the approach goals over time. Depression was negatively associated with approach goals, whereas positively correlated with avoidance goals. Depression in the freshman and sophomore years resulted in more avoidance goals 1 year later, and the depressive problems in the junior year predicted the decline of approach goals in the senior year. The present study highlighted the deleterious effects of depression on the achievement goals of college students.

Research on the application of digital music in mental health education in colleges and universities

Abstract The interdisciplinary study of mental health education and digital music in colleges and universities is an indispensable part of China’s education discipline system. To solve the current problems of mental health education in colleges and universities, this paper analyzes the promotion role of digital music and the development of mental health in colleges and universities. The hierarchical analysis method is used to build a mental health assessment index system in colleges and universities. Using the VPMCD method, based on the intrinsic relationship between different index characteristics, a digital music-based psychological health assessment model for colleges and universities is established to assess the psychological health problems of college students. According to the psychological assessment results, the listening psychological intervention method is used to psychologically intervene with students. And by calculating the main melody of digital music materials, the type of music intervention materials used was determined. Experimental results: The listening psychological intervention method successfully led to the slow recovery of students with severe and moderate mental health problems and the complete recovery of students with mild psychological problems. 11 students (9.2% of the total) were completely cured of their psychological problems among the freshmen students in college A. The number of students who reduced their psychological problems was 86, accounting for 81.1% of the total. 26 students, accounting for 32.3% of the total, were completely cured of their psychological problems in their sophomore year at College A. The number of students who reduced their psychological problems was 56, accounting for 51.3% of the total. It proves that: digital music plays a supplementary role in college mental health education and proposes a new way of implementation for college mental health education. It promotes the diversified development of mental health education in colleges and universities as well as the cultivation of positive psychological qualities of college students and guides them to grow up positively and healthily.

Preparing culturally competent teachers through clinical practices abroad

PurposeClinical practice provides teacher candidates with opportunities to link teaching and learning theory to practice in a supported environment with strong mentorship through their initial phases of teaching. Teacher candidates wait in anticipation for the opportunity to get into classrooms to work alongside veteran teachers to promote student learning and achievement. This article presents one educator preparation program’s (EPP’s) innovative program that spans the boundaries of the USA to provide teacher candidates with a two-week intensive full-time clinical placement in schools located in the Cotswold Region of England.Design/methodology/approachHighlighted in this piece is the program’s partnership history, design, structure, connection to the nine essentials, assessment of program goals, and a synthesis of the literature on global education and its value in educator preparation.FindingsHighlighted in this piece is the program’s partnership history, design, structure, connection to the nine essentials, assessment of program goals and a synthesis of the literature on global education and its value in educator preparation.Originality/valueThis article highlights one university’s innovation that places teacher candidates in the classroom for a two-week full-time immersive clinical experience in various schools in England. As early as their sophomore year, teacher candidates can participate in this study abroad program and do so while developing their own cultural competence and global citizenship.

Prospective associations between peer support, academic competence, and anxiety in college students.

Previous literature has demonstrated that peer support is instrumental for the promotion of adaptive academic and mental health outcomes; however, limited research has examined prospective directional associations between peer support and adjustment within college settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal associations between peer support, academic competence, and anxiety among U.S. college students. U.S. students from a diverse 4-year university (N = 251, 75% women, 24% men, and < 1% a different gender) reported on peer support, academic competence, and anxiety using validated questionnaires at two time points (Fall term of sophomore year and Spring term of senior year). Results showed that peer support was positively associated with academic competence over time but was not significantly related to future anxiety. Academic competence did not significantly predict peer support or anxiety over time, but anxiety was associated with lower future academic competence. These findings offer insight into how types of social relationships link with academic motivation and anxiety over time within educational settings.

Using Cognitive Science and Technology to Enhance Financial Education: The Effect of Spaced Retrieval Practice

Financial literacy is an important life skill, yet the impact of financial education has often been found to be modest. We conducted a field experiment to assess the effectiveness of a postinstruction intervention using a smartphone app that incorporated cognitive science principles aimed at improving learning. College students who completed a required credit review workshop during their sophomore year used the smartphone app in one of three practice conditions: control (no practice), massed, or spaced retrieval practice with elaborative feedback. On a final assessment about 5 months later, students who engaged in spaced retrieval practice were superior to those in the control and massed practice conditions in terms of knowledge. Given the ubiquity of smartphones today, the results highlight the potential of harnessing easily accessible technology as learning tools to augment the retention and transfer of knowledge.

The Effect of Two Different Simulation Modalities in Palliative Care Teaching on Nursing Students' Knowledge, Satisfaction, Self-confidence, and Skills: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Nursing students from developing countries have limited opportunities to experience palliative care. Standardized patient and low-fidelity simulations can provide realistic palliative care experiences for students. However, limited research is available on simulation-based education in Palestine. Testing and using these two types of simulation methods may be the best solution for developing countries that lack adequate resources. This study aimed to test the effects of low-fidelity simulation compared with standardized patient simulation in palliative care teaching on nursing students' knowledge, satisfaction, confidence, and skills. The study was a randomized controlled trial of 70 nursing students in their sophomore year. Students' knowledge was assessed with the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing test; satisfaction and confidence with the Learner Satisfaction and Self-confidence in Learning; and skills rated by two researchers. Students' knowledge improved significantly on the posttest compared with the pretest, without significant differences between both groups. The findings showed that the utilization of the two methods in students' clinical training for scenario has the same effect on the satisfaction and confidence. The skills of the standardized patient group improved significantly more than the low-fidelity group. The study revealed that both simulation modalities are effective for palliative care nursing students.

MATLAB applications for teaching Applied Thermodynamics: Thermodynamic cycles

AbstractThe main objective of this study is to describe the teaching experience in an applied thermodynamics course, using MATLAB applications developed with MATLAB® App Designer. This course is compulsory for students in their sophomore year of the BSc in Chemical Engineering. MATLAB applications are developed to serve as tools for the teaching of thermodynamic cycles: steam and gas power, and vapor‐compression refrigeration cycles. The computer applications are case‐based problem generators, that is, based on chosen groups of initial variables, which values are randomly selected each time the MATLAB applications are run. Solutions of the cycle problems, which include thermodynamic cycles plotted in p–h, T–s, and p–v diagrams, and thermodynamic properties of each state of the cycle, are shown when students want to check their calculations. Moreover, the applications allow exporting initial data and solutions to an MS Excel file. The usability and learning experience of the applications were evaluated through anonymous surveys to students and the feedback of the academic staff involved in the course. The main problem, that the students referred, to was the utilization of the MATLAB applications that they considered it was not straightforward. The students believed that the utilization of these computer applications represented a significant improvement in teaching (70%) and expressed their interest in having similar materials in other degree courses (75%). After implementing the computer applications, the academic results showed an increase of ca. 16% in the pass rate.

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Can people with intellectual disabilities not be good employees? A survey on psychological capital of students with intellectual disabilities in secondary vocational schools

People with intellectual disabilities are the most difficult to find employment among all types of disabilities. However, their successful employment is a very beneficial thing for both individuals and society. Secondary vocational students with intellectual disabilities are the most likely candidates to develop into employees with disabilities. Paying attention to their psychological capital is helpful to improve their invisible psychological quality and employability. In this study, students with intellectual disabilities in two special education schools in Zigong, Sichuan Province, China were selected as research objects. These students were surveyed using the adapted “Psychological Capital Questionnaire for Adolescent Students” (PCQAS). The results show that the overall psychological capital level of the students with intellectual disabilities is positive; ‘Hope’ scored highest of the four dimensions; There was no significant difference in all scores for gender; In terms of grade, freshman year students scored significantly lower on ‘Resilience’ than sophomore year students in high school. After discussion, the following conclusions are reached:1. It is feasible for secondary vocational students with intellectual disabilities to complete the psychological questionnaire on the premise of some adaptation of the questionnaire;2. The overall psychological capital level of secondary vocational students with intellectual disabilities is not so bad as imagined. With proper education and care, they can have good mental quality;3. Resilience is a quality that needs to be paid special attention to in the process of preparing for employment of secondary vocational students with intellectual disabilities;4. The cultivation of resilience quality should be carried out as soon as the new students entering school;5. Psychological intervention is an educational method that can be tried.

Characteristics of Class-Scale Social Network Structures of College Students over Time, Driving Factors and Their Implications for Chinese Higher Education

Classes are the basic unit of learning and social activity for college students in higher education. A good social environment at a class scale has a positive effect on fostering the development of teamwork among university students. To assess characteristics of class-scale social network structures of college students over time, this study randomly selected a total of 30 classes of different majors and grades in universities in northern Jiangsu Province, China, and conducted questionnaires on students’ social networks. Social network analysis method was used to model and analyze the social networks of class Interpersonal interaction for students. The results of the study show that there is significant temporal variability in the class-scale social network structure of college students. During freshman and sophomore years, students interacted closely with each other in class, with a high average network clustering coefficient of 0.81, while in junior and senior years, students tended to interact more distantly with each other in class, with the network clustering coefficient dropping to 0.55. This suggests that early collaborative education does motivate junior students to make friends, but this discontinuous collaborative education has a negative impact on senior students’ motivation to make friends, since teamwork education is mostly concentrated in the early years of freshmen in many general universities in China. In addition, roommate relationships, participation in social activities and hometown gatherings influence class-scale socialization. Class-scale socialization prioritizes dormitory or club activities to become friends with the same class, followed by hometown parties. The results of this study confirm that long-term maintenance of cooperative education and multiple guidance for college students to actively make friends and engage in group cooperation in class are conducive to a positive interpersonal interaction at the class scale.

EFL VIETNAMESE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

English has gradually been very important in education in Vietnam and it is taught from the early ages. However, many students cannot communicate English appropriately after graduation. There are many reasons for this, but student engagement is considered as one of the major reasons which cause the low level of English proficiency of Vietnamese students. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate EFL Vietnamese students’ perceptions of their engagement with English learning in the face-to-face learning environment. A quantitative method was employed. The sample consisted of 428 students who have studied English. The results revealed that students were highly engaged with their learning. Students indicated that they were cognitively engaged with learning the best and were agentically engaged the least. In addition, the findings also showed that English major students were more engaged with their learning than their non-English major counterparts. The students in the group of freshman and sophomore year combined were found to be more engaged than those in junior and senior years. Some implications from the findings were also suggested.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0542/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Athlete Recruitment and the Myth of the Sophomore Peak

Conventional wisdom dispersed by fans and coaches in the stands at almost any high school track meet suggests female athletes typically peak around 10th grade or earlier (15 years of age), particularly for distance runners, and male athletes continuously improve. Given that universities in the United States typically recruit track and field athletes from high school teams, it is important to understand the age of peak performance at the high school level. Athletes are often recruited starting in their sophomore year of high school and individuals develop at different rates during adolescence; however, the individual development factor is usually not taken into account during recruitment. In this study, we curate data on event times for high school track and field athletes from the years 2011 to 2019 to determine the trajectory of fastest times for male and female athletes in the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1600m races. We show, through visualizations and models, that, for most athletes, the sophomore peak is a myth. Performance is mostly dependent on the individual athlete. That said, the trajectories cluster into four or five types, depending on the race distance. We explain the significance of the types for future recruitment.

MENTORING PRACTICES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE: A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS OF EFL

This paper aims to discuss the development of the teaching project Mentoring Practices in English Language: a supportive environment for students of EFL, under the effects and circumstances of the remote teaching context. Focused on the systematic monitorship of contents and related knowledge, this project seeks to offer, in the Portuguese-English language program at Felcs/UFRN, pedagogical support for students in their freshman and sophomore years who present learning difficulties related to the English Language. The report addresses aspects that underlie the work with activities that aim to improve the quality of the undergraduate course and the teacher training process: the interaction and learning space, the use of technological resources, and the approach and use of the target language linked to the development of the participants’ autonomy. This proposal is theoretically based on studies developed by Harmer (2007), Bygate (2001), Larsen-Freeman (2001), and others. Data obtained through monitoring, and dialogue with those involved during the meetings point to the importance of the pedagogical support that is provided through the mentoring project, taking into consideration the existence of gaps and weaknesses in learning, which become evident at the beginning of the educational process in Higher Education.